Type-writing machine for the blind.



'No. 727,141. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

H. 'H. HODGSON.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE FOR THE BLIND.

APPLICATION IILBD NOV. 14, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

5 .2 aZa A -l- B-J. any

Tu: naams PETERS co momurnou WASHING'DN. u. c.

UNITE TATES Patented May 5, 1903.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE FOR THE BLlND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,141, dated May 5, 1903. Application filed November 14, 1902 Serial No. 131,413. (110 model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY HOMES HODG- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writing Machines for the Blind; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and

to the figures of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved form of type for writingmachines that the writing of such machines may be read by the blind. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in section a common form of writing-machine with my type attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a view of the printing-face of my type. Fig. 2 is a view of the printing -face of the ordinary printing-type. Figs. 3 and 4 are views in cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The object of my invention isto provide a type which will indent the paper sufficiently to form embossed or raised letters which may be read by the blind by passing the tips of their fingers over the same. The letters are formed in relief on the side of the paper opposite the side which receives the impress of the type. My types diiferfrom the ordinary printingtype in the fact that they are positive-faced.

Fig. 2 shows the face of my type, and it will be seen that such type presents the letters positive-faced as such letters are seen in ordinary printed matter. In Fig. 2 the ordinary form of printing-type is shown, in which the letters as seen from the face of the type are negative-faced. I therefore employ the words positive-faced to designate type cast with the letters to appear from the face of the type as such letters appear in the ordinary print.

In order that the'typeimay the more easily cmboss the paper and form letters with clear outlines, it is requisite that the edge of the type formed by the face and sides should be sharp anddistinct and so formed as not to wear dull or rounded. To such end I prefer-'- ably form the type as shown in Fig. 3. In such figure the character 10 indicates the base-plate of the type extended into a shank, by which it is attached to the type bars or levers,--and the character 11 indicates the type proper. As shown, the sides of the type converge or slant inwardly from the base-plate to the face, and the face is slightly concaved there by giving an acute angle to the edge of the type, while the convergingsides give support to such edge to prevent it being flattened outwardly. By reason of this construction when the type is forced down on the paper the sharp angle of the edge causes the fibers of the paper to be more sharply bent and forms an embossed or raisedletter on the opposite side of the paper with clear and welldefined outlines. It will also be noted that by reason of such sharp outline the type enters the paper the more readily and the letters are embo'ssedwith less force than would be otherwise required. Thus I am enabled to use my type in the ordinary form of type-' writing machine in which the type-carrying levers are pivoted and are operated by horizontal key-carrying levers, as shown in Fig. 1. In such form of machine 'the ordinary positive-faced embossing-type cannot be used, as the key-carrying lever cannot ordinarily be struck with su fficient force to cause the type to form a letter which may be read only by the sense of touch. Also by reason of the sharper outline given to the embossed letter the character is more easily and certainly determined by the tactile sense, and a smaller character may be used than has heretofore been possible.

While I prefer the form of type above described, I may also employ a type having parallel sides and a concave face, as shown in Fig. 4.

By preference I use a type of the Gothic form, as shown-that is, a type without serifs. Such a type I mount on the ends of the type bars or levers in any well-known manner. The type-bars areipivoted to the frame of the machinef and are operated by horizontal key-carryinglevers; The paper is carried around the well-known form ofrollerplaten, and such platen should beformed with a soft surface and should be arranged to feed or move in the direction opposite to that in which it is moved when the ordinary form of printing-type is employed.

The type may be made slightly larger than the ordinary printing-type, in which case the roller should also be correspondingly enlarged.

I Having thus described my invention, I

claim- 1. The combination in a writing-machine with a roller-platen, pivoted type-carrying levers, and means for operating same, of posirive-faced type having concaved faces and converging sides carried by such levers and arranged to form raised characters, substan tially as described.

2. The combination in a Writing-machine HARRY HOMES HODGSON.

\Vitnesses:

LIONEL M. RICAN, GUS J. RICAN. 

